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Former NCAA players and fixers charged over rigged basketball games, prosecutors say
A sprawling betting scheme to rig NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association games ensnared 26 people, including more than a dozen college basketball players who tried to fix games as recently as last season, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
PHILADELPHIA - A sprawling betting scheme to rig NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association games ensnared 26 people, including more than a dozen college basketball players who tried to fix games as recently as last season, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
What we know:
Court documents unsealed by federal prosecutors in Philadelphia on Thursday accused former NBA and Chinese Basketball Association player Antonio Blakeney of conspiring with Marves Fairley and Shane Hennen to accept bribes in exchange for affecting the outcome of CBA games.
Prosecutors allege Blakeney influenced games through intentionally poor performances, sitting out of games, and/or removing himself from games during the 2022-2023 CBA season. He is also accused of bribing other U.S. citizens playing in the CBA to similarly hinder their performance to influence games.
Blakeny, who played professionally for the Chicago Bulls, provided Fairley and Hennen with information about the health and playing status of himself and other CBA players that was not known to the public. The co-conspirators would allegedly use this information to place bets on CBA games online and in-person, including at a casino sportsbook in Philadelphia.
Prosecutors allege they stretched the illegal sports gambling ring to include NCAA games during the 2023-2024 season, and recruited "susceptible NCAA players" into the scheme by offering bribes of $10,000 to $20,0000 to influence games through poor performance and otherwise.
Blakeney is accused of helping recruit NCAA players into the gambling scheme over FaceTime calls and in-person. At least three individuals would then place bets online and in-person on NCAA games and allegedly give Blakeney and the players involved a portion of their winnings.
Four of the players charged — Simeon Cottle, Carlos Hart, Oumar Koureissi and Camian Shell — played for their current teams in the last few days, although the allegations against them do not involve this season.
What they're saying:
Calling it an "international criminal conspiracy," U.S. Attorney David Metcalf told reporters in Philadelphia that this case represents a "significant corruption of the integrity of sports."
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Wayne Jacobs, said the alleged crimes are not "victimless."
"This was a calculated scheme designed to manipulate outcomes, deceive fans, corrupt athletes, and undermine the credibility of our leagues and institutions," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report